Update from Kenya
From Design to Reality - Building Model Farms
The 10 farmers are currently in the process of developing their model farms with the help of an extension worker who visits them regularly to guide them. The peer to peer extension work is planned to begin this month.
The slideshow gives some idea of the work being done on the model farms in Asumbi. For example, on Emily Osiyo's model farm, she is growing orange fleshed sweet potato which has more than 4 functions on the farm: 1. as a cover crop, 2. as a food security crop, 3. as an income crop, 4. to improve the family’s nutrition (this variety is rich in vitamin A). In Leonard's food forest, he is integrating coffee with nitrogen fixing trees like lucern, agroforestry trees like grevillea for timber and firewood, and fruit trees like mangoes and bananas.
Stories from Down on the Farm…..
Saving money, reducing waste, & improving soil!
Mrs Phelister Aludo is one of the 10 lead farmers in Kenya. She tells us, “Before getting involved with C-MRA, I used to apply Di-Ammoniaum Phosphate (DAP) to my farm every season and this costed me Ksh. 3,500 ($34usd) per bag per season. Every season I used 2 bags which totaled Ksh 7,000 ($67usd) and each bag weighs 50kgs. If you include the transportation cost from Homabay town to my farm, then it totals to about Ksh. 8,000 ($77usd).” She continues, “It reached a point that even if I applied the DAP there was no significant improvement in my harvest, then I thought I needed to increase the quantity of application which I did but then the harvest even reduced further” She laments, “I was frustrated, but since I was trained by C-MRA on compost making which was one of the sessions I enjoyed the most, I resorted into it. It really doesn’t cost me a cent as I use locally available material and wastes from my farm. My soil has since improved a great deal and I can see a big change.”
Reflections from Farmers in Uganda
Now that the farmers in Sanje in Uganda have started to put into practice what they learned during their permaculture training this Spring, here are some of their early reflections on what they are learning:
“I have learnt a lot that I did not know such as using waste for compost. I did not know how to farm in a small space but now, on top of knowing how to grow crops in a small space, I can even grow crops during a dry season.”
Nantumbwe Betty, Uganda
“I have learnt how to collect rain water, how to test soil and how to plant crops in a dry season without having to water them all the time. The most significant change for me is being able to grow crops without having to water them so much during the dry season.”
Nantezza Joyce Luggaju, Uganda
Thank you as always for your support!
Thank you for sharing our stories with your networks and thank you for your generous giving to continue our work!
Thank you for sharing our stories with your networks and thank you for your generous giving to continue our work!
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